5 min readPatnaAug 17, 2026 05:20 AM IST
First published on: Aug 16, 2026 at 07:00 AM IST
Once a key face of the Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)’s first family, former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav’s political space has been increasingly shrinking since his dramatic expulsion from the party in May 2025 and his loss in the state Assembly elections later that year.
But even as Tej Pratap, the elder son of former chief ministers Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, looks to regain his political standing, he has found ways to keep himself busy – from maintaining a regular social media presence to starring in a reality TV show “Bhojpuri Bawaal”.
Last week, on August 9, Tej Pratap, 38, said in a post on X: “Very soon, the entire country and all of Asia are about to witness something new. Something special and fresh is coming soon with the one and only Mallika Sherawat. For now, it’s a suspense… so hold your hearts steady and don’t let too much anxiety show on your face!”
The former Bihar health minister and two-time MLA might well be keeping himself busy with these activities, his political stock has dipped significantly in recent years.
After being expelled from the RJD in May 2025 in the wake of a social media post, which indicated a “long relationship” with a woman even as he fought a divorce case with his estranged wife Aishwarya Rai, Tej Pratap floated his own party, Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), just months before the November 2025 Assembly polls.
While the JJD fielded a slew of candidates in the Assembly polls, it failed to open its account. Tej Pratap himself finished a distant third in the Mahua seat behind the candidates of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the RJD.
Since then, Tej Pratap has looked to recapture political space in the state. At times, he has praised Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founder Prashant Kishor. He has also invited Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke to Bihar. He has even thanked Chief Minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary for “sending him to Beur Central Jail” following his participation in a students’ stir in Patna over the NEET paper leak last month.
Tej Pratap’s political isolation has come about in recent years. It was not too long ago that he shared the same residence with his parents and younger brother Tejashwi Yadav at 10, Circular Road — just behind the CM’s residence at 1, Aney Marg. Things changed for the worse after the NDA’s thumping victory in the 2025 Assembly polls, which later forced Lalu and Rabri to vacate their official residence. Tej Pratap vacated his own official residence after his loss from Mahua and has been living in the official residence of an RJD MLC since.
“The 2025 elections dealt a severe blow to Tej Pratap in particular. He finished a distant third behind LJP (RV) and RJD in Mahua, the constituency that had first sent him to the Assembly (in 2015). The JJD, which became a political party just before the Assembly polls, is an almost insignificant outfit. From being a health minister to being politically irrelevant, Tej Pratap lost the political plot in a matter of a decade. His political fortunes can revive only if the RJD is able to bounce back and Tejashwi patches up with his elder brother,” a senior RJD leader said.
Tejashwi is currently the RJD national working president as well as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly.
While Tej Pratap has been trying to maintain family ties and reconnect with his relatives, the RJD has shown no indication of bringing him back. On a personal note, however, Tejashwi reciprocated the brotherly bond by meeting Tej Pratap after his release from the Beur jail recently, while Lalu also attended his birthday party this April.
Despite being cornered politically, Tej Pratap however continues to be followed by the media for sound bites.
On Saturday, while reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “dimagi Naxal” barb in his Independence Day speech, Tej Pratap said, “Let the PM explain who is ‘dimaagi Naxal’. He should also probe if such elements are in his party (BJP) as well.”
As for his take on Bihar politics, he has not concealed his affinity for the JSP. Congratulating Kishor on his Bankipur bypoll victory, he posted on X: “This victory is the result of your tireless hard work, dedication, and the trust of the people.”
Tej Pratap has also invited Abhijeet Dipke to visit Bihar and “become the voice of the people”. In contrast, he told Samrat Choudhary on July 30, following his arrest over students’ protests in Patna: “By sending me to jail, you have given me the opportunity to stand even more firmly among the people.”
However, the elder scion of the Lalu family has been struggling to regain his political ground in the state. “It is tougher for a person who grew up in the CM’s house and witnessed power so closely for years. But then, politics is a level playing field,” said one of his close aides.
While the JJD fielded a slew of candidates in the Assembly polls, it failed to open its account. Tej Pratap himself finished a distant third in the Mahua seat behind the candidates of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the RJD. 
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